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An unidentified illness has killed over a dozen dogs in northern Michigan, according to officials.

The Otsego County Animal Shelter said in a statement Friday that over 20 dogs in the county have died due to an illness similar to parvovirus, a highly contagious and often-deadly gastrointestinal disease in dogs.

The shelter’s director, Melissa Fitzgerald, released a statement on Aug. 9 saying that most of the dogs who died were less than 2 years old and died within three days of showing symptoms.

Fitzgerald said the symptoms included bloody diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy and a loss of appetite.

However, when the dogs were taken to be tested for parvovirus, the statement said, the tests came back negative.

Fitzgerald said the “best guess” for the cause of the deaths is an unknown strain of parvovirus.

According to the shelter, the illness is not affecting one breed over another, but appears to be more common in puppies and elderly dogs.

The shelter’s statement added that no dogs that have been properly vaccinated have been among those to die in recent weeks.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is investigating the recent deaths.

“We are still in the early stages of this investigation, but some of the first samples submitted to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory were positive for canine parvovirus. However, there are more results pending and more to be learned,” state veterinarian Nora Wineland said in a statement.

“When MDARD first learned of these cases in northern Michigan, we immediately reached out to the veterinarians and animal shelters involved and began our response efforts,” Wineland added. “Protecting animal and public health is one of the department’s key pillars, but it is a team effort. Dog owners need to ensure their pet is up to date on routine vaccinations as it’s the first step in keeping your pet healthy.”

Jennifer Holton, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, told ABC News that because parvovirus is not a reportable disease, officials are mostly working with anecdotal information.

“Parvo is an incredibly hardy virus,” Holton said. “And by that, I mean it can survive various temperatures and all kinds of things.”

Holton said it’s essential for pet owners to get their dogs vaccinated and alert their veterinarian if they see signs of illness in their dogs.

She added that proper cleanup, to halt the spread of the disease through fecal matter, is also essential, particularly in high-capacity areas like shelters, doggy daycares and other animal-friendly places.

While the mystery surrounding the current death rates is concerning, Holton said officials have the investigation under control.

“The word ‘panic’ has been used a lot; that is certainly not what we’re doing here,” Holton said. “Prioritizing animal health is one of the key fundamentals of what our animal industry division in this department does on the daily.”

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(NEW YORK) — As Dallas reels from deadly flooding, the rain is now moving east.

Heavy downpours will strike Louisiana, southeast Texas and southern Arkansas on Tuesday morning.

The flooding rains will stay in place over Louisiana and southeast Texas throughout the day.

In Shreveport, Louisiana, residents are already wading through up to 7 inches of rain from the past 24 hours. Flash flood warnings are in effect.

San Antonio and Austin, Texas, facing one of the driest years on record, are also under flood watches.

On Wednesday morning, the heavy rain will continue in eastern Louisiana and will reach Mississippi, where 10 inches of rain is possible over the next 48 hours.

This comes after downpours pounded the Dallas region Sunday night and Monday, at one point reaching 3.01 inches of rain in one hour.

A state of disaster was declared Monday night in Dallas County as officials announced that a 60-year-old woman died when her car was swept away in floodwaters.

East Dallas recorded a whopping 15.31 inches of rain. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport saw 9.19 inches of rain over 24 hours — the highest in 90 years.

Dallas usually sees a total of 8 inches of rain throughout the entire summer.

ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.

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(SPRINGDALE, Utah) — The family of the hiker who went missing after flash floods hit Utah’s Zion National Park is hoping their loved one is found safely, as the National Park Service joined in search and rescue efforts on Monday.

NPS is assisting the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Zion’s rescue team as they search parts of the Virgin River, located south of the park, for Jetal Agnihotri of Tucson, Arizona, the park said in a press release Monday.

NPS initially received multiple reports of park visitors being swept off their feet by a flash flood in the Narrows in the Zion Canyon at around 2:15 p.m. on Friday.

One hiker was sent to the hospital, while rangers found several hikers isolated near Riverside Walk due to high flood water, NPS said.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s water team investigated the fast-flowing and deep areas of the river, while dog handlers looked into areas with vegetation and log jams, NPS said in a news release.

“We don’t know what she’s going through, where she is,” her brother, Pujan Agnihotri, told Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX.

More than 20 park rangers and search and rescue team members are aiding with search and rescue efforts.

Pujan Agnihotri praised NPS for its efforts in the search for his sister, whom he described as “strong-minded” and “independent,” but added that the situation has been “frustrating.”

“It’s already day three for us and we haven’t found any clue except the backpack,” he told KTVX.

“We have confidence in […] whatever decision she would have taken,” Pujan Agnihotri said. “Unfortunately, this flash [flood came] out of nowhere, there [were] no caution signs, there was no closure during the flash flood.”

ABC News’ Nadine El-Bawab and Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.

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(NEVADA COUNTY, Calif.) — California authorities believe that the body found in a vehicle submerged in a reservoir is that of missing teenager Kiely Rodni, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said at a press conference Monday.

Earlier, authorities had confirmed the body was found in a vehicle that matches the description of the SUV that Rodni was driving, authorities told ABC News on Monday. The sheriff’s office said it expects to have an official confirmation that the body belongs to Rodni soon.

The lake where the car was found was within the search radius, where law enforcement had been searching since the very beginning of the operation, and officials said they had searched the water previously.

The lake had been searched with sonar and divers, but the expertise and high-end equipment provided by Adventures With Purpose, an independent group that located the vehicle Sunday, allowed them to make the find.

Rodni, 16, was last seen on Aug. 6 around 12:30 a.m. local time near the Prosser Family Campground in the small town of Truckee, California, some 20 miles north of Lake Tahoe.

She was at a party with upward of 300 people when she vanished along with her vehicle, a silver 2013 Honda CRV with California license plates and a sticker of a ram below the rear wiper blade, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, which had led the search and investigation.

The vehicle, which was pulled from the water overnight, matches the description of Rodni’s SUV, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, which is assisting in the investigation, confirmed to ABC News.

In a statement, the teen’s family said they were “eternally grateful” for the love that friends, family, law enforcement, the media and communities all over the world showed them throughout their search for Rodni.

“We have weathered a storm of unfathomable force, and it is purely thanks to the army of warriors, matriarchs, healers and helpers holding us up that we continue to stand today,” her family said. “Mr. Rogers famously told a story of ‘looking for the helpers’ whenever he saw scary things in the news. We have not had to look for the helpers, as you have all come to our rescue in full force. We are forever indebted to you.”

The statement continued, “While we accept this sadness cast under death’s shadow, the rising sun shines light upon us, reminding us not to mourn our loss, but to celebrate Kiely’s spirit and the gift that we all received in knowing her. Kiely will surely remain with us even though we will not get her back.”

Rodni’s cellphone had been out of service since she went missing.

“Her cellphone went dead and became virtually untraceable shortly after,” Angela Musallam, public information officer for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, told ABC News during an interview that aired Aug. 9 on Good Morning America.

Last week, authorities said they were conducting sex offender compliance sweeps as part of their search for Rodni.

Rodni’s mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, told Good Morning America during an interview on Aug. 8 that the last text message she received from her daughter said she was planning to leave the party in about 45 minutes and would be coming “straight home.”

Following her disappearance, Rodni was added to the FBI’s missing persons database.

ABC News’ Nadine El-Bawab, Marilyn Heck, Alex Stone and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

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(HONOLULU) — Bail was denied Monday for the wife of a U.S. defense contractor accused of stealing the identity of a dead child, as well as conspiracy, according to her attorney.

Walter Glenn Primrose, 66, and Gwynn Morrison, 66, were indicted for conspiracy against the U.S. government, aggravated identity theft and making false statements in the application and use of a passport, federal court documents show.

The Hawaii couple pleaded not guilty in federal court on Aug. 2. They both will be held behind bars without bail, a judge ruled. Primrose was denied bail last month.

In court documents, prosecutors allege that Primrose and Morrison stole the identities of two Texas infants, Bobby Edward Fort and Julie Lyn Montague, both born in the late 1960s.

Primrose, aka Bobby, and Morrison, aka Julie, “assumed the identities of deceased American-born infants and have been fully living in these fraudulently assumed identities since 1987,” an affidavit in the complaint shows.

During a hearing last month, U.S. attorneys accused Primrose of abruptly leaving Texas in 1987 after assuming Bobby’s identity. The couple reportedly told a family member that they were entering the Witness Protection Program.

The real Bobby Edward Fort died in 1967 from asphyxia, while the real Julie Lyn Montague died in 1968, according to the complaint.

Unlike Primrose — who identified himself as Walter Primrose and accepted that identity at last week’s bail hearing — Morrison insisted that her name was Julie Lyn Montague.

According to an affidavit, Primrose told a family member that he worked for a government agency and wasn’t allowed to share photos of himself.

Prosecutors argued Primrose should be denied bail because they said the defendants might have “troubling foreign connections,” ABC News learned.

U.S. attorneys said witness interviews in Texas and Hawaii revealed that the couple “had a longstanding interest in espionage issues.”

Prosecutors also say searches of their home revealed maps of military bases, coded messages, sets of invisible ink and photos of them dressed up in KGB military outfits.

The U.S. attorneys said forensic experts believe the photos were taken in the 1980s. Defense attorneys claimed the outfits were a costume.

Prosecutors said that after their arrest, while left in a room alone, Primrose and Morrison allegedly referenced things related to espionage.

Primrose enrolled in the U.S. Coast Guard using fake documents in 1994 and served until 2016, court documents allege. Since then, he has been a Department of Defense contractor with access to military installations, according to court documents.

Defense attorneys pointed out that their clients have not been charged with anything related to espionage but only “white collar” crimes related to identity fraud.

Morrison’s attorney, Megan Kau, and Primrose’s attorney, Maximilian Mizono, did not have a comment when reached, respectively, by ABC News.

Both will go to trial on Sept. 26.

ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report.

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(ATLANTA) — One person was killed and two were injured in shootings at two locations in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood on Monday afternoon, Atlanta police said.

Police said a suspect is in custody.

This comes after police said they were searching for an unknown woman in connection with the shootings. Police shared photos of the individual with a suitcase.

Police said she was taken into custody at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Authorities said it’s not clear what led to the shootings and that they’re investigating the connection between the two locations.

The first two victims, including the person who died, were found at 1280 W. Peachtree Street. The third victim was at 1100 Peachtree Street, police said.

Police also said they’re investigating whether the shootings were targeted or random.

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(ATLANTA) — Two people have been killed and one was injured in shootings at two locations in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood on Monday afternoon, Atlanta police said.

Police said a suspect is in custody.

This comes after police said they were searching for an unknown woman in connection with the shootings. Police shared photos of the individual with a suitcase.

Police said she was taken into custody at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Authorities said it’s not clear what led to the shootings and that they’re investigating the connection between the two locations.

The first two victims, including the person who died, were found at 1280 W. Peachtree Street. The third victim was at 1100 Peachtree Street, police said. The third victim later died at the hospital, according to police.

Police also said they’re investigating whether the shootings were targeted or random.

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(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — Prompted by the racially motivated mass shooting in May that left 10 Black people dead and three other people injured, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held a listening session in Buffalo on Monday to hear from loved ones of the victims who pointed out in emotional statements that systemic racism played a major role in the massacre.

It was the first time since 2015 that the EEOC panel has held a meeting outside of Buffalo. The panel’s chair, Charlotte A. Burrows, vowed to incorporate what the commission learned into its multi-year strategic enforcement plan.

“Like most of America, I mourned the tragedy and condemned that vicious attack in Buffalo in May. And it claimed the lives of 10 innocent people,” Burrows said in an opening statement. “But to illuminate the underlying injustice and racism that helps create the conditions for racially motivated violence and discrimination, we also need sustained, thoughtful and persistent action. Grief and anger are not enough.”

Garnell Whitfield, a retired Buffalo fire commissioner whose 86-year-old mother, Ruth Whitfield, was among those killed in the rampage at the Tops supermarket in the predominantly Black neighborhood of East Buffalo, told the commission that racism just didn’t suddenly rear its ugly head on May 14.

“I brought only my lived experiences to share with you because I want you to know what it feels like to be traumatized in this manner, not just on May 14, but every day of your life just because of the color of your skin,” Whitfield said.

He said that as a teenager, he was wrongfully accused of robbery and abused by white police officers. He said that a fire department company officer attempted to sabotage his ability to join the fire department in the 1980s.

Whitfield said that while he might appear to be successful on the surface, his reality is a different story.

“The truth is, I, like every other Black American, is a victim and survivor of racism, treated differently and put under constant pressure to be quiet and ignore the incessant barrage of biases, implicit and otherwise, just to get along, just to fit in — and just maybe get a piece of that so-called dream that you’ve been taught to believe in,” Whitfield said. “The problem is, reality keeps waking you up.”

He went on, “I felt it was important for you to know what we go through. No matter what opportunity you provide for us, we come to that opportunity with baggage, with trauma. Our communities have been traumatized. All of the statistics, all of the things that you hear, this didn’t just start on May 14. We’ve been living with this our entire lives.”

Zaneta Everhart, whose 20-year-old son Zaire Goodman was wounded in the attack, also addressed the commission, saying, “It boggles my mind that I sit here before you today saying the same things that Black people have been saying for centuries.”

“What is happening in my community and communities just like the East Side of Buffalo all across the country is violence,” Everhart said. “The starvation of resources, the lack of education, the poor health system, the dilapidated housing, few employment opportunities, food insecurity, limited transportation, redlining, not having enough green space. Not having sidewalks. This is violence.”

She said her son is now living with the results of decades of inequality and unchecked racism.

“The world we live in is by design. Systemic racism is a calculated construct. That is why it was so easy for the terrorist to find the Black people here in Buffalo and cause terror,” Everhart said.

She said her son, who was working at Tops the day of the attack, was shot in the neck and will have to live with shrapnel in his body for the rest of his life.

“He is left with the memory of feeling his flesh being torn open by a bullet from an AR-15,” she said. “He is also left with the memory of seeing an elder from his community, who he says was a wonderful woman, being shot and killed right in front of him as well as the memory of bodies lying dead in the parking lot of the grocery store where he was employed. So, therapy will now be a normal part of his healing journey.”

But she also told the commission that her ability to stay strong comes from the resilience of her son.

“Seeing the way that Zaire has handled all of this has given me the strength to advocate for change,” Goodman said. “The first thing Zaire said to me after he was shot while lying in the hospital bed was, ‘Mom, I knew I’d be fine.'”

She added, “He is resilient. Besides going to doctors, his first time really getting out of the house was 15 days after the massacre and he wanted to go to the memorial in front of Tops to put flowers down.”

She said her son is also pleased that the Tops store, the only large grocery market in East Buffalo, has reopened.

“While he realizes that the scene there is a source of pain for so many in the community, he feels that the reopening of the store shows the terrorist that he cannot destroy our community,” Goodman said.

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(NEW YORK) — A sheriff’s deputy has died after being shot while serving a lockout order at a home, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

One deputy was shot and a second deputy was hit while trying to get the first out of the way of gunfire, an emotional Sheriff Tommie Johnson III said during a press conference.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office identified Sgt. Bobby Swartz as the officer who was killed.

“Today, the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office mourns the loss of a good man. Two of our deputies were shot while serving a lock out order. One deputy succumbed to his injuries; the other is in stable condition. We plan to release more details soon. Until then please keep us in your prayers,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.

The suspect took off on a pursuit and was taken into custody at the entrance of Tinker Air Force Base.

The other deputy is in the hospital and sustained serious injuries.

ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman and Teddy Grant contributed to this report.

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(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M) — The man charged in the killings of at least three of the four Muslim men killed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in recent months has a history of arrests for domestic violence, police said.

Muhammad Syed, 51, is charged with murder in the shooting deaths of 25-year-old Naeem Hussain on Aug. 5, 41-year-old Aftab Hussein on July 26 and now the Aug. 1 murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, according to the Albuquerque Police Department. Syed denied being involved in the deaths of the men after he was arrested, according to police.

Investigators said they are working with the district attorney’s office on potential charges for the murder of the other man who was killed within months of the others.

Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, was killed last November outside a business he ran with his brother, police said.

The victims of the shootings in August and July were from Pakistan. Ahmadi was from Afghanistan.

Syed moved to the U.S. from Afghanistan several years ago and has since been arrested at least twice on misdemeanor domestic violence charges, police said.

According to a criminal complaint from May 2018, Syed and his wife had an argument that turned physical while in a state Department of Human Services office.

Syed claimed his wife slapped him while they were arguing in the car and kicked him while in the waiting room of the office, the complaint says. His wife told police Syed pulled her by the hair and kicked her out of the vehicle, forcing her to walk for almost two hours to the office. When she arrived, the argument continued and she claimed Syed grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground, according to the complaint.

An employee at the office told police that she found Syed’s wife on the floor with a large piece of hair that had fallen to the ground, the complaint says. Employees stated that Syed arrived about an hour and a half before his wife arrived, according to the complaint.

He was placed under arrest for battery on a household member, but his wife did not want to pursue charges or participate in prosecution, which led to the dismissal of the case, according to a spokesperson from the Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney.

In December 2018, Syed’s son called officers to the home, and claimed that the father was “striking” the mother and son, according to a criminal complaint. The son had locked himself in his room after the son had been hit by his father with a metal spoon, which drew blood on the back of his head, the complaint says.

The son advised officers that Syed had routinely beaten him and his mother in the past. Syed denied any violence, the criminal complaint showed. Victims were again unwilling to pursue charges or cooperate with police.

An attorney for Syed did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

The string of slayings had left Muslim communities across the country shaken.

“I hope that our community can breathe a sigh of relief and be assured about safety and security that our main suspect has been put behind bars and that’s where he belongs,” Nihad Awad, the national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said at a press conference Aug. 10.

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